Arts Apr 18 Pioneering hip hop artist DJ Kay Slay – who worked with Nas, Busta Rhymes and others – dies of COVID-19 By Associated Press
Nation Feb 14 Watch 6:22 Super Bowl halftime show sparks more conversations about the NFL’s record on race The Super Bowl was a close and compelling game on Sunday, and as always there was a lot of attention around the halftime show. This year's show was led by hip-hop legends Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem,… By Amna Nawaz, Ryan Connelly Holmes
Arts Jan 23 Watch 7:22 What Run-DMC, Peter Parker, and Linus have in common Since his earliest days on the mic, DMC, the co-founder of what many consider to be the greatest rap group of all time, has offered countless rhymes and tales—about what it was to be a kid from Queens who wore… By Christopher Booker
Arts Nov 02 Tupac Shakur’s life, legacy to be on display in immersive exhibit The 20,000-square foot exhibit will showcase Shakur’s music, poetry, wardrobe, activism journey and other items in galleries. By Jonathan Landrum Jr., Associated Press
Arts Jul 17 Biz Markie, known for classic rap song ‘Just a Friend,’ dies Biz Markie, a hip-hop staple known for his beatboxing prowess, turntable mastery and the 1989 classic “Just a Friend,” has died. He was 57. By Associated Press
Mar 10 Watch 8:14 Leveraging the power of art to achieve ‘community immunity’ By Jeffrey Brown, Anne Azzi Davenport The pandemic has highlighted structural inequities within American life, including a disproportionate impact on Black communities and poorer neighborhoods and access to and attitudes toward the vaccine. A new national public health campaign is trying to reach some Black Americans… Continue watching
Aug 21 Megan Thee Stallion says person who shot her was fellow rapper Tory Lanez By Andrew Dalton, Associated Press More than a month after she was shot in the feet after a party in the Hollywood Hills, hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion is saying for the first time that fellow rapper Tory Lanez was the person who pulled the… Continue reading
Jul 01 How the soundtrack to today’s protests against racism has roots in the blues By Tyina Steptoe, The Conversation Rap songs from Public Enemy and Ludacris have been heard at marches over the killing of George Floyd. But the history of Black American music as a form of protest dates back to the 19th century. Continue reading
Aug 20 Watch 9:23 In Common’s new memoir about healing, ‘love can be an action’ Common, the award-winning musician, actor, activist, and now author, says that in a world of division and anxiety, he wanted to offer solution-oriented resources for healing that have helped him overcome trauma and tough times in his life. Common joins… Continue watching
Aug 15 WATCH: We asked Common to freestyle about facts. Here’s what happened By Joshua Barajas The PBS NewsHour is never freewheeling with facts, but we loved it when Common came to our studio to freestyle about them. Continue reading